Practice Team Assistant

The Opportunity PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES To provide support to the relevant Practice Area fee earning colleagues by assisting them in the following areas: Deliver high quality, accurate work whilst managing and responding to changing and competing priorities Meet required deadlines and negotiate alternate timeframes when necessary, utilising other in-house services as appropriate (e.g.
Office Operations, Reprographics, Document Production) Implement effective telephone call management and other communication work practices.
Ensure callers and other parties receive a consistent, high-quality service and their expectations are managed Print, photocopy and scan relevant documents as and when required.
This includes assisting with the preparation of court/counsel bundles, deeds and fee earner working papers File relevant documents in electronic or hard copy files as and when required Assist with fee earner expense claims, cheque requisitions and other banking related admin in a timely manner Manage own email including timely response, filing of emails (including hard copy filing where necessary) Manage the entry of timesheets for fee earners (where relevant) promptly with accurate use of phase and task codes (if required) Assist with the billing administration process which may include the creation of pre-bills, editing of bills and narratives, producing bill cover letters, ebilling set-up/submission and posting onto the system as per firm policy and process Assist with making Intapp client/matter changes such as adding/amending client addresses, third party payers and making changes to agreed rates at the final billing stage.
Support the team with meeting the required WIP, billing and debtor's day's targets by generating client matter reports via Expert and rectifying errors and omissions when required Assist with the new business intake administration process which may include, conflict checks, file opening forms, anti-money laundering/agreed rates forms and preparing engagement letters including checking for retainers Assist the administrative support relating to the resourcing of fee earners across the Practice Areas.
Assist with quick turnaround document work that cannot be sent to DP Assist with the organisation of event/meeting logistics such as booking conference rooms, arranging refreshments, equipment, arranging dial-in details and VC set-up and making restaurant reservations for client lunches/dinners.
Assist with point to point travel bookings which may include single/return train/flight tickets, hotel and taxi bookings Assist with updating client information and relevant databases, following fee earner instructions (e.g.
InterAction) Prepare files for archiving and manage return/retrieval of files following firm guidelines Provide ad hoc support to the Practice Areas such as assisting with incoming mail, answering the telephones, booking couriers, organising repro/DP submissions, assisting with room moves and any other general administrative duties Treat your key relationships as internal clients and demonstrate diligence, professionalism and a commitment to providing them with an exceptional experience including being a key point of contact for the team.
Take a keen interest in the Practice Areas, key matters, issues and hot topics; so that appropriate priority is given to queries and requests and issues are escalated Adhere to firm, office and practice group policies and procedures, including those that are formal, informal, documented or verbal Take all necessary steps to ensure you are aware of correct procedures.
Maintaining inquisitive, collaborative and vigilant work habits, keeping abreast of changes and developing more efficient work processes.
Demonstrate this in your interactions with others Demonstrate enthusiasm and proactivity in the workplace, including participating in and contributing to secretarial group meetings, firm initiatives, focus groups, pilot groups, team building activities, learning and development sessions and other relevant activities Take responsibility for your own learning, undertake recommended training, keep up to date and comply with firm policies, adopt new or improved firm and practice group recommended work practices, and share information with others about better ways of working Assist with the creation/management of HSF and client datasites (extranets), building taxonomy in consultation with fee-earners ensuring sites are regularly updated and contain all relevant documentation Creating/amending/checking/uploading deeds schedules within the HSF REDS system Dealing with storage and recalling deeds as requested ensuring records are maintained in line with HSF process KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Practice Area fee earners are satisfied with the level of administrative support they receive (including communication of work in progress) and agree that the quality of support you provide meets expectations Work produced is consistently accurate and completed as requested, within agreed timeframes and is of a high standard A reputation within the practice group for being an effective, helpful and supportive team member Colleagues (including fee earners and Business Services staff) are confident that they can approach you and will receive a level of assistance that is appropriate in the circumstances A reputation for being an effective communicator and for working with team members and Business Services teams to achieve positive outcomes Compliance with the firms and practice groups policies, guidelines and recommended ways of working Actively participates in the firms annual performance review process, using knowledge of the Business Support Competency Framework to set professional goals Takes full ownership and responsibility for any absences from the office (including planned and unexpected absences).
This includes leaving work in an appropriate state of order, leaving discoverable and up to date handover information, providing handover and full communication of the absence that is appropriate to the circumstances and in accordance with the process in place for the group QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE Candidates to have at least 1 year's experience in an administrative role Typing speed minimum of 45 wpm with 98% accuracy Good knowledge of the Microsoft suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to building effective and trusting relationships with people internally and external to the firm.
NOTE: Applications for this role will close at midday on Friday 10th January 2025 Team Belfast Office Ops James Brooker Level 2, Office Operations Working Pattern Full time Location Belfast Contract type Permanent Contract Diversity & Inclusion At Herbert Smith Freehills you will be part of a diverse, innovative culture where high performance, client focus and highly engaged people are our differentiator.
People at our firm come from a range of backgrounds and bring a wide variety of experiences and perspectives to their work with us.
We strive to ensure that our inclusive environment means you feel valued and able to perform at your best by being your authentic self at work.
We know that our future success not only depends on being innovative and progressive in the changing legal market but, most importantly, on our people feeling highly engaged in meaningful work.
We understand that you have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to create a working environment based on mutual trust and respect, in which you can perform at your best whilst maintaining sustainable balance across your life.